New AHA panel to address jobs crisis for PhDs

Anthony Grafton, president of the American Historical Association, will be chairing a just-announced session at this year’s AHA convention in Chicago, entitled “Jobs for Historians: Approaching the Crisis from the Demand Side.” The session was prompted by an exchange with Jesse Lemisch on the History News Network over the proper way to address the jobs crisis amongst history PhDs. Mr. Lemisch proposed that the AHA endorse a proposal for a WPA-style federal writers’ project for out-of-work historians, in turn prompted by an earlier exchange (For Lemisch’s original article and a rebuttal by Grafton and AHA executive director James Grossman, go here and here.). Mr. Lemisch will be on the panel, along with Edward Balleisen of Duke University, John R. Dichtl of the National Council for Public History, and Lynn Hunt of UCLA.

Mr. Lemisch has also announced the formation of Occupy History, a group that seeks to add the voice of historians “in support of those speaking out against demanding solutions to growing injustice and inequality, both economic and social.” Occupy History’s website is http://occupyhistoryna.wordpress.com/.